Sedimentation, Drought , Blue-Green Algae, Failing Fisheries All Taking Toll At KS, MO Reservoirs
Some Kansas reservoirs such as John Redmond are literally filling in as heavy silt loads flow into the main bodies. At Redmond, an 8,000-acre reservoir in the southeast part of the state, officials estimate that sediment now takes up 42 percent of the conservation storage capacity.
-During the hot, dry summers of the last two years, the water levels dropped to record lows at some reservoirs. In several Kansas reservoirs, that has contributed to nasty outbreaks of toxic blue-green algae, which thrive in warm, still water. Fisheries biologists are worried that this might be the start of a cycle.
-Though the Clean Water Act has done a good job tackling point pollution - that is, the direct dumping of pollutants into the reservoirs - there are still big problems in the watersheds. Farm ground above reservoirs and tributaries with unstable banks still dump everything from silt to chemicals into the water that flows into reservoirs.
-In Missouri, civilization is closing in on many once-remote streams in the Ozarks and the changes are troubling. Excessive gravel and silt loads that fill in holes, erosion of banks and the gradual widening of the channels have been reported.
"These reservoirs are man-made," said David Casaletto, executive director of Ozarks Water Watch, a citizens group devoted to protecting the waters of the Ozarks. "We built them, and it's our responsibility to protect them. "People don't always see the problems, because they're not as noticeable as they once were. But they're out there."
EDIT
http://www.bnd.com/2013/03/22/2545087/mo-kan-lakes-show-signs-of-trouble.html#storylink=cpy
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